Dobunni 1st Century BC Pershore Gold Stater *Excessively Rare*

Dobunni

The Dobunni, the most westerly coin-issuers of Late Iron Age Britain, had a key zone of influence centred around what is today the Cotswolds – encompassing modern Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, parts of Oxfordshire and the lower Severn valley. Ptolemy places them firmly in and around Roman Corinium (modern Cirencester), although their original capital was probably located a few miles away at Bagendon – a massive site with huge enclosure ditches that was abandoned in about AD 60.

The earliest Dobunnic types are a small, restricted series of uninscribed gold coins perhaps issued in the period 50–20 BC, characterised by examples contained within the small hoard recovered in 1993 at Pershore, Worcestershire. These, along with many of their inscribed cousins, appear to partially overlap with a very extensive, uninscribed silver coinage first classified by Robert Van Arsdell – types such as the so-called ‘Cotswold Cock’ (ABC 2012/BMC 2950–1), ‘Cotswold Eagle’ (ABC 2015/BMC 2953–62) and ‘Cotswold Oxo’ (ABC 2024/BMC 2976–80).

Dobunnic coinage possesses a strong sense of regionalism in its artistry, having a relatively restricted, perhaps even conservative decorative range. There are no hints of agricultural prowess, as hinted at by the plentiful corn-ears rendered on Cunobelin’s gold staters and quarter-staters. Neither are there mint-names, as can be found proudly declared on issues of Calleva and Verlamion. Most certainly absent are both Latin titles such as ‘REX’ (king) and images from the Classical world; sphinxes, centaurs, griffins and wine-cups – as encountered on the silver coins of Cunobelin, Tasciovanus and Verica.